Ulster
Ulster Tartan Collection
Celebrate the Ulster tartan — the district tartan of Ireland's northern province, drawn from a piece of seventeenth-century cloth preserved for three hundred years in a Derry bog.
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About the Ulster Tartan
The Ulster tartan is a district tartan — it belongs to a place rather than a family, so anyone with a connection to the northern province of Ireland, or simply an affection for it, may wear it. It is remarkable among tartans for resting on a genuine archaeological find.
In 1956 a set of clothing was recovered from a bog near Dungiven in County Londonderry, including a pair of checked trews of the seventeenth century. Studied and published by the Ulster Museum in 1961, this Dungiven costume is the source from which the modern Ulster tartan is drawn.
Ulster Tartan Pattern and Colours
The sett is a warm, earthy check of golds and browns with green and dark lines — the colours of the original cloth as it survived, weathered by long centuries in the peat, and of the Ulster countryside itself in late autumn.
Ulster Tartan Heritage
Checked and striped cloth was worn across the Gaelic world — in Ireland as well as in Scotland — long before the age of clan tartans, and the Dungiven find is precious evidence of it. The trews, jacket and cloak recovered from the bog give a rare glimpse of how an ordinary man of seventeenth-century Ulster actually dressed.
Ulster is the northern province of Ireland, nine counties of drumlin and lough, mountain and sea coast, whose people have moved back and forth across the narrow water to Scotland for two thousand years. The Ulster tartan speaks to that shared inheritance, and is worn by those of Ulster and Ulster-Scots descent around the world.
Who Is This Collection For?
This collection is made for those with Ulster and Northern Irish roots, Ulster-Scots families, the wide diaspora of the nine counties, and anyone who wants an Irish district tartan with real historical depth.
- ✓ Ulster and Northern Irish families
- ✓ Ulster-Scots heritage
- ✓ The nine counties diaspora
- ✓ Family gatherings and reunions
- ✓ Irish heritage gifts
- ✓ Warm gold and brown style
How to Wear Ulster Tartan
Ulster tartan works well across caps, shirts, hoodies, scarves, ties, jackets, blankets and keepsake gifts. Its warm, earthy palette is easy to pair and quietly distinctive, suitable for everyday wear and family occasions alike.
Ulster Tartan FAQ
Quick answers about the Ulster tartan, its origins and who may wear it.
Is Ulster a clan tartan?
No — it is a district tartan belonging to the northern province of Ireland, so anyone with a connection to Ulster may wear it.
Where does the Ulster tartan come from?
From the Dungiven costume, a set of seventeenth-century clothing found in a bog in County Londonderry and published by the Ulster Museum in 1961.
Did people in Ireland wear tartan?
Checked and striped cloth was worn across the Gaelic world, in Ireland as well as Scotland, long before clan tartans as we know them.
What are the colours?
Warm golds and browns with green and dark lines, following the surviving colouring of the original cloth.
Who can wear the Ulster tartan?
Anyone with Ulster or Ulster-Scots roots, or an affection for the province — it belongs to a place, not a family.
Is it a good gift?
Yes — it is a favourite among families of Ulster descent in America, Canada, Australia and beyond.
Wear the Ulster Tartan
Discover Ulster tartan clothing, accessories and gifts — a warm, earthy sett drawn from cloth worn in the north of Ireland four centuries ago.
View Ulster Tartan Clothing